1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cooler mounting assemblies, and more particularly to a new and improved assembly that may be mounted onto the exterior of a vehicle or vessel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous vehicle exterior mounting assemblies are known in the art. Many of these assemblies are directed to the holding of a fuel or water cans, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,104,860, 3,188,034, 4,132,336, 4,327,849, and 4,911,343. Each of these patents utilizes a series of brackets, springs and clamps to hold a standard shaped fuel/water can to the exterior of a vehicle.
Other patents describe exterior mounting assemblies directed toward holding such things as milk cans, No. 1,018,696; luggage, Nos. 1,356,328 1,621,176, and 1,740,368; water bags, No. 2,447,771; and a fisherman's basket, No. 4,936,480.
Several patents relate to cooler holders. U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,488 describes a removable canoe-carried cooler. This particular patent is directed the design of a cooler so that it fits conveniently into a canoe. No particular exterior mounting mechanism is disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,267 describes a cooler caddie for a golf cart, which comprises a tray that holds both golf bag and cooler. U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,241 describes a cooler assembly for catamarans utilizing a tray and a series of straps and clips to hold the cooler in place on a pontoon. This particular patent is designed to hold coolers of a type having a pivotally mounted lid and a handle at the top. A strap is slided through the handle, and attached to the base with a special "U" shaped clip. However, this prevents the cooler from being opened while mounted, thus reducing stability while opened.